NSW Women's Strategy to boost social and economic opportunity in NSW

30 Aug 2018

Increasing women’s economic wellbeing and security, improving health and lifting participation in the community are key focus areas of a new Strategy and Action Plan released today by the NSW Government, shaped by feedback from hundreds of women and community leaders across the State.

Minister for Women Tanya Davies said senior agency officials will for the first time coordinate a whole-of-Government response to improve outcomes for women.

“Until now there was no whole-of-government strategic approach to promote and improve gender equality in NSW, today we’ve changed this with the new NSW Women’s Strategy 2018-2022,” Mrs Davies said.

“The four-year Women’s Strategy is the beginning of a renewed focus and drive for the NSW Government to deliver via our annual action plans. We are committed and determined to build on this activity into the future.”

Highlights of the Strategy’s Year One Action Plan include: *NSW’s first Women’s Week in 2019 to encourage grass roots activities that challenge perceptions about women and girls and celebrate their achievements *Develop and publish new online educational resources to improve online safety for young women *Delivery of the NSW Health Framework for Women’s Health *Attracting more female students to study science, technology, engineering and maths *A new annual report on NSW Government spending on women *Creating entrepreneurial opportunities with a partnership between the NSW Government and the Sydney School of Entrepreneurship *Boost women’s board and committee opportunities by promoting the NSW Government Boards and Committees Register.

“We want to lead by example and ensure the public sector is the best place for women to work. We know we can make a difference with the NSW Government employing 10 per cent of the State’s working population,” Mrs Davies said.

“We must close the gap across our personal and professional lives and boost opportunities for women and girls, while also creating new ones.”

The Strategy is the result of a comprehensive consultation process with the NSW community in 2017 and underscores the NSW Government’s commitment to improve safety, opportunity, equality and participation of women and girls.

*Note: The Strategy acknowledges the ongoing disproportionate impact of domestic, family and sexual violence experienced by women and children however for further detail on NSW’s commitment to respond please refer to the NSW Sexual Assault Strategy 2018-2021 and the NSW Domestic and Family Violence Blueprint for Reform 2016-2021.